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Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

Hi I'm looking for advice to treat varroa mites. I have two hives started from two swarms from this year. I did a sugar shake and got 12 mites out of one and 28 out of the other per half cup of bees/300. I bought some apivar but I am having second thoughts because treatment is long and then it says wait 14 days after removing to place honey supers on which equates to 56 days. I'm in florida and the nectar flow should be in those next two months. Some other methods seem to be less successful but can be used with honey supers on. Does anyone have any good advice? thanks

Re: Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

MAQS II. Use during the cooler end of recommendation and add some ventilation by putting a popsickle stick or similar spacer between your boxes. Remove the pads after the seven day treatment period even though you don't have to. These are the tips I gleaned that prevent the problems of brood kill and queen loss associated with the product. It is Formic Acid and accepted as okay to use with supers on.

Re: Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

Originally Posted by Motj3

MAQS II. Use during the cooler end of recommendation and add some ventilation by putting a popsickle stick or similar spacer between your boxes. Remove the pads after the seven day treatment period even though you don't have to. These are the tips I gleaned that prevent the problems of brood kill and queen loss associated with the product. It is Formic Acid and accepted as okay to use with supers on.

Re: Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

It sounds like the single strip application of MAQS is just what is called for. With numbers like that, I'd take the risk of queen problems which would be minimized by ventilation, mild temperatures and the half dose. When I used it, the mite drop was unreal(~1500/1st 24 hrs).
DISCLAIMER- When I used it I did indeed experience egg-laying delay and supercedure but it was applied during a heat wave in hives that were shut up tight.

Re: Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

you don't want to use OA on a hive that has brood. It knocks the heck out of the brood. With mite counts as high as you have, you need to do something NOW, or you won't have any bees. That's an 8% and 16% mite load. Loads that high will wipe out a colony in short order. If you don't treat with MAQS, then use the Apivar and just wait the required time. Lose the honey crop or lose the bees. Your choice. You could also add the Apivar for a shorter duration and pull the strips. Wait the 2 weeks then super the hives. This will give you a knock down on mites but you'll still have mites on capped brood. You'll need to treat again as soon as the supers come off, if you try this.

Re: Varroa mite spring treatment w/ honey

Hopsgaurd could be a good option in this situation. One treatment a week for three weeks. That will put you finished with the treatment in time for Gallberry. Then you can treat with Apigaurd or Apivar in June when we hit our summer dearth. You need to try and knock back the mites or you will probably loose the hives by the end of summer. I would not use MAQs this time of year, the weather is too unstable it can go from highs in the 60s one day to highs in the 80s the next. MAQs is too hard on the brood especially in the higher temps.